NEWSLETTER

Industry-Handicraft

The "Theran cotton" was unique in Greece and existed for more than 100 years. The plant was short, like the vines, and the cotton was red, like silk. The fabrics and the famous Santorinian socks were made from it. They also wove cloths, stockings, caps and jerseys with it.The first knitting factory was founded by G. Filippakis in 1887 in Messaria but the real pioneer was Antonios Markezinis.

In 1926, G. Koutsogiannopoulos having returned from Shanghai founded a cotton mill in Fira. In 1929 another knitting factory had been founded in Oia by Iakovos Darzentas which did great and after having tranfered its operations to Athens became the largest in Greece. The last factory had been built by in 1960 by Evaggelos Damigos also in Oia and transfered its operations to Chalkida.

*Data from the text "Production and exportation of cotton" by Dimitris Gofas, emetinus professor of Athens Law School, from the book "Santorini, Thera, Therassia, Aspronisi, Volcanoes", by Ioannis M. Danezis/2001. Editor in chief Emm. A. Lignos.